Grain-door for railroad-cars.



No. 866,092. PATEN-TED SEPT. 17, 1907. J. VAN SLYKE.

GRAIN DOOR FOR RAILROAD CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.12.1906.

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No. 866,092. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

J. VAN SLYKE. I

l GRAIN DOOR FOR RAILROAD CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 the plane indicated by the'line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

JAMES VAN SLYKE, OF SHELLROOK, IOWA.

GRAIN-DOOR FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filedApril 12,1906. Serial No. 311,303.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES VAN SLYKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shellrock, in the county of Butler and State of Iowa, have invented'a new and useful Grain-Door for Railroad-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grain doors for railroad cars, and among the objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

Grain doors, as ordinarily constructed, are intended to obstruct the outward movement of grain and similar material that has been loaded into freight cars for transportation; and in order to resist the outward pressure of the grain, such doors are usually made wider than the door opening so as to abut interiorly upon the door posts; by the present improvement, a grain door is provided which is capable of swinging outward through the door opening, between the door ports, thus greatly facilitating the unloading of the contents of the car; collapsible abutments are provided to obstruct the outward movement of the grain door when the latter is in active operation, and means are provided whereby said collapsible abutments may be conveniently and effectively manipulated.

The invention consists in these and in various other improvements in the detailed construction, arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. 7 In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be made, when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved grain door seen from the outside of a railroad car, and showing the door left down in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing the abutments withdrawn from engagement with the grain door. Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken on Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing the door in the position indicated in Figs; 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the door folded and raised to an inoperative position under the roof of the car. Fig. 7

is a vertical sectional view showing the upper leaves of the door folded beneath the roof of the car. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views illustrating various means for supporting the door sections in a raised position. Fig. 10 isa perspective detail view of a portion of one of the abutments. Fig. 11 is a perspective detail view showing one of the door leaves provided with a reinforcing truss.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

In the preferred form of carrying the invention into practical operation, there is constructed around a door opening of an ordinary railroad freight car an auxiliary frame, designated F, which is intended to afford a foundation for the operative parts of the improved device, but it is to be understood that when door posts of suflicientwidth are employed, this auxiliary frame may be dispensed with. The side members 1, 1 of said auxiliary frame are bolted upon, or otherwise connected with, the door-posts proper, '22; and for convenience, the members 1, 2 will hereinafter be conjointly referred to as the door posts; in like manner, the designations lintel and sill will be understood as including the .cap portion and the base portion of the frame F, whenever said frame is employed.

The grain door, which is generally designated G, is composed of a plurality of leaves 3, 3, in addition to a main section M, the detailed construction of which will be presently described. The individual leaves 3, 3 are provided with arms 4, 4 hingedly connected with a supporting rod 5 which is suspended, as by means of eyes or brackets 6, 6 under the lintol of the door frame, or, if preferred, beneath the roof of the car. The leaves 3, 3 are adapted to overlap their contiguous edges, the lower edge of each leaf overlapping the upper portion of the leaf next below in such a manner that grain tight joints will be formed. The suspending arms 4, 4 are bolted or otherwise suitably secured exteriorly upon the leaves 3, 3, which latter are preferably formed of sheet metal or other suitable light and durable material. Under this construction it will be seen that when the door is let down, as best seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the outward movement of each individual leaf 3 will be obstructed by the suspending arms 4 connected with .the leaf or leaves below such individual leaf. In like manner, when the leaves are raised to an out of the way positionunder the roof of the car, as best seen in Fig. 10 of the drawings, the suspending arms 4 of the lower leaves may be regarded as assisting to support the upper leaves in such out of the way and inoperative position; it being, however, understood that securing means, such as spring latches 6 as shown in Fig. 8, or gravity latches '7, as shown in Fig. 9, will be provided for the separate support of the individual leaves.

The main section, or bottom section, M, of the grain door includes a relatively narrow leaf 8-which is firmly secured upon the suspending arms 9, 9 which are hingedly mounted upon the rod 5; the upper edge of the leaf 8 being overlapped by the loweredge of the proximate leaf 3; the door section Malso includesa relatively wide leaf 10 .which is hingedly connected with the suspending arms 9, 9 and the upper edge of which is overlapped by the lower edge of the leaf 8; the leaf 10 is preferably provided with angular braces or reinforcing strips 11 for the passage of the pins, bolts, or similar members 12 which constitute the hinges whereby the leaf 10 is connected with the suspending arms 9. By this construction it will be seen that the leaf may be folded upon the suspending arms 9,

which latter are provided with spring latches 13 having pins 14 adapted to engage apertures 15 in the webs of the angular reinforcing strips 11, which latter are beveled outwardly at their lower extremities so that the latch pins 1 1 may be conveniently engaged by the apertures 15. The leaf 10 is provided at its lower edge with a relatively narrow apron or extension 16, hingedla or flexibly connected therewith in any suitable and convenient manner.

By the construction of the grain door, as thus far described, it will be seen that the leaves 3, 3 are practically independent of the lower section M. Said lower, or main, section, when the broad leaf 10 is folded upon the suspending arms 9,3, may be raised to an out of the way position beneath the roof of the car below the leaves 3, 3 which have been previously raised or elevated; if they have not already been raised or elevated, they will be lifted to the out of the way position by the arms 9, 9 of the main section M when the latter is elevated, as will be readily understood. For the purpose of facilitating the manipulation of said main section, a flexible hoisting element or tackle, as 17, may be provided, if desired, the same being suitably connected with the leaf 8 of the main section and guided over suitably arranged pulleys or guide members 18 to a clcat 19 where it may be made fast; this hoisting member, however, is not entirely relied upon for supporting the grain door in its out of the way position; a pivoted yoke or hanger, as 20, being preferably provided for this purpose. It will thus be seen that when the main section of the grain door is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, it serves to obstruct the downward movement of the individual leaves 3, 3, and may be regarded as assisting in supporting said leaves in a raised position.

The sill of the door frame is preferably provided with a step 2]. forming an abutment for the apron l6 hingedly connected with the lower edge of the main section M of the grain door.

The grain door is made of such a width as to fit neatly and snugly in the door frame, but in such a manner as to be capable of swinging in an outward direction between the door posts. It is obvious, however, that when the car is to be loaded, such outward movement of the grain door must be obstructed, and, in order to effect this result, the members are provided which have been designated as the collapsible abutments A, A. Each of these abutments has been illustrated as consisting of inner and outer plates or members 22 and 23 respectively hingedly connected with each other along their proximate vertical edges, as shown at 24. The plates 22 are hingedly connected with the door posts, near the inner edges of the latter, where facing plates, as24, are provided to protect the abutments, and the plates 22 and 23, when collapsed as best seen in Fig. 4, are adapted to lie flat against extended over subjacent members, which will be known as the lever plates 25, and the construction, arrangement and operation of which will be presently more fully described. The abutment plates 22 are preferably mounted upon tubular hinge rods or members 26 having bearings in the lintel and in the sill of the door frame and extending through the latter; the lower extremities of said hinge rods being provided with levers or handles 27 whereby they may be conveniently operated for the purpose of expanding or collapsing the abutnrents, as may be required. The abutment plates 22, which may thus be advanced to a position, as shown in Fig. 2, approximately at right angles to the door posts, has been shown as provided with corrugations forming ribs 28 adapted to engage corresponding grooves or depressions 29 formed vertically in the grain door, throughout the height of the latter, for the purpose of effecting a perfectly tight joint.

The members which have been designated as the lever plates 25 are hingedly connected with the door posts, near their inner edges, as will be clearly seen in Figs. 2 and l; the door posts being provided with angular recesses, as 30, for the accommodation of the rear edges of said lever plates when the latter are folded to the position seen in Fig. 2 for the purpose of bracing and securing the abutments in expanded position. When the parts are folded or collapsed, as best seen in Fig. 4, the rear edges of the lever plates are overlapped by the abutment plates 23, and the latter are guided beneath resilient guide plates 31 which may be secured upon the faces of the lever plates 25, near the upper ends of the latter; the lever plates being preferably provided with recesses, as 32, for the acconmrodation. of the outer portions of said abutment plates 23. When the abutrnents, by manipulating the levers or handles 27, are moved from a collapsed to an expanded position, the abutment plates 23 will slide from under the resilient guide plates 31 to the position clearly indicated in Fig. 2 where they may be secured against displacement by turning the lever plates 25 upon their hinges until said lever plates abut upon the outer edges of the abutment plates 23, at approximately right angles to the latter, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. For the purpose of securing the lever plates in this locking position, as it may be termed, I have chosen to avail myself of a chain 33 permanently connected with one of the lever plates and having a terminal hook 34 adapted to be detachably connected with the other lever plate; said chain being also provided with a take-up hook 35 connected with one of the chain links and adapted for detachable engagement with another link, so that, by this simple expedient, the lever plates may be secured in locking engagement with the abutments. A simple arrangement of a nut and a thumb screw may be substituted for the hook 35 for'the purpose of taking up slack in the chain The chain 33, when not in use, may be supported in an out of the way position beneath the lintel of the door opening, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, by means of supporting hooks, as 36.

As will be readily seen from the foregoing description, when the abutments are expanded, they will positively the faces of the door posts, the plates 23 being partly f obstruct the outward movement of the swinging grain door under the pressure of the contents of the car; on the other hand, when the locking plates or lever plates are restored to the position shown in Fig. 4, and the abutments are collapsed, the grain door will yield to the pressure of the contents of the car and will thus be permitted to swing outwardly at the bottom, permitting the contents of the car to escape, and thus permitting the unloading of the car to be effected much more swiftly and effectively than by means heretofore in vogue.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. In unloading the car, the abutments are expanded, and the main section M of the grain door may then be lowered and material be loaded into the car until it is nearly level with the upper edge of the leaf 8. The leaves 3, 3 mayv then be successively lowered, and the car be gradually loaded until it has been practically filled, the uppermost leaf 3 being finally dropped into obstructing position or into engagement with the abutments. As will be readily seen, by the use of this improved grain door the car may be loaded rapidly to the roof, without the least danger of spilling or wasting any portion of the contents. The apron 16, which is hingedly connected with the lower edge of the leaf 10 of the main section M, will abut upon the step 21 of the sill and will thus form a. grain tight joint at the lower edge of the door; atthe same-time, the said apron, when the abutments are collapsed for the purpose of unloading the car, will yield to the outward pressure of the contents of the car, and will permit the door to swing outward in order to permit the contents of the car to es cape. i

The resilient guide plates whereby the abutment plates 23 are guided when the abutments are expanded, instead of being connected with the lever plates 25, may be secured directly upon the door posts, as will be seen at 31 in Fig. 6 of the drawings; the lever plates, here designated 25, being made somewhat shorter than the door posts, as will be clearly seen in said figure.

When the leaves or sections of the improved grain door are made of light material, such as sheet metal, or whenever it shall be found desirable, the said leaves or sections may be reinforced by means of trusses of any suitable, convenient, and well known construction. To illustrate, there has been shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings a detached leaf of the doorprovided with a truss '1, it being understood that the construction of said truss may be modified when desired.

It is desired to be distinctly understood that while the construction herein shown and described is effective for the purposes of the invention, no limitation is made to the precise structural details shown and specilied; but the riglit is reserved to such changes and alterations as would come fairly within the scope of the invention, and which may be resorted to within the spirit of the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A car door frame, a hingedly supported grain door adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame, and abutments hingedly connected with the side posts and adapted to restrain the door from swinging 3. A car door frame, a grain door supported at its upper end and adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame, abutments adapted to restrain the outward movement of the door, each abutment comprising sections hinged to fold upon each other and means for locking the abutments in expanded position.

4. A car door frame, a grain door supported at its upper end for swinging movement, abntments connected with the door frame and adapted to obstruct outward movement of the door, each abutment comprising sections hinged to fold upon each other and lever means for manipulating the abutments.

5. In a grain door, hingedly supported supporting members, a leaf having angular reinforcing strips hingedly connected with the supporting members, and latch members connected with the latter and adapted for engagement with the reinforcing strips.

6. The combination with a car door frame and a sup porting rod; of a grain-door mounted to swing freely on said supporting rod in an outward direction between the side posts of the frame; said grain door including a plurality of independent leaves or sections arranged in a vertical tier or series and each adapted to obstruct the outward swinging movement of the leaf or section adjoining its upper edge, each section being hingedly con nected to the supporting rod.

7. A car-door frame, a grain door comprising a plurality of independent sections or .leaves supported for free swinging movement between the side posts of the frame, and means movably connected with the latter to obstruct the outward movement of the swinging sections each of said means consisting of sections hinged to fold upon each other.

8. A car door frame, a grain door comprising aplu rality of independent leaves or sections independently supported to swing between the side posts of the frame upon an approximately horizontal axis, and abutments to obstruct the movement of the door sections in an outward direction each abutment consisting of sections hinged to fold upon each other,

9. A car door frame, a swinging grain door composed of a plurality of independently movable sections, collapsible obstructing means'including pairs of hingedly connected plates, and means for expanding and releasing said obstructing means.

10. A car door frame, a swinging grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis and adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame, hinge rods carrying door obstructing devices, each of said devices comprising sections hinged to fold upon each other and operating levers upon said hinge rods.

11. A car door frame, a swinging grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis and adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame, hinge rods supported in the frame and extending through the sill of the latter, door obstructing devices upon said hinge rods, each of said devices consisting of sections hinged to fold upon each other and means for manipulating the latter.

12. A car door frame, a grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis for swinging movement be tween the side posts of the frame, hingedly supported inner abutment plates, outer abutment plates hingedly connected with the inner abutment plates, and resilient guiding means for the abutment plates.

13. A car door frame, a grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis for swinging movement between the side posts of the frame, collapsible abutments including a plurality of hingedly connected plates, one plate of each abutment being hingedly connected with a side post of the frame, and means for manipulating the abutments and for guiding the members of the same to expanded and to collapsed position.

14. A grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis for swinging movement, in combination with movably supported obstructing members adapted to obstruct the side edges of the door, means for moving said members to and from obstructing position, means hingedly connected with the obstructing members for supporting them in obstructing position, and means for securing said supporting members in engaging position.

15. A car door frame, a grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis for swinging movement be tween the side posts of the frame, vertically disposed hinge rods extending through the sill of the frame, obstructing plates upon said rods, abutment plates hingedly connected with the obstructing plates, and hingedly supported lever plates having guiding means for the abutment plates,

16. A car door frame, a grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis for swinging movement between the side posts of the frame, vertically disposed hinge rods extending through the sill of the frame, obstructing plates upon said rods, abutment plates hingedly connected with the obstructing plates, hingedly supported lever plates, and resilient members connected with the latter engaging and guiding the abutment plates.

17. A car door frame, a grain door supported upon an approximately horizontal axis for swinging movement between the side posts of the frame, vertically disposed hinge rods extending through the sill of the frame, door obstructing members upon said rods, abutment plates hingedly connected with the obstructing plates, hingedly supported lever plates adapted to engage and to support the abutment plates, and means for securing the lever plates in engaging and supporting position.

18. A car door frame, a grain door, collapsible and expansible abutments adapted to be expanded to obstructing position relative to the side edges of the grain door, lever members for supporting the abutments in expanded and door obstructing position, and means for securing the lever members in abutment supporting position.

19. A car door frame, a grain door, collapsible and expansible abutments, lever members for supporting the abutments in expanded position, and a chain connecting the lever members and having a takeup hook.

20. The combination with a car door frame; of a hingedly supported grain door adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame, abutment plates each consisting of sections hinged to fold upon each other and adapted to lie fiat upon the side posts of the frame to permit swinging movement of the door, and means for extending the abutment plates to restrain the door from swinging outward.

21. The combination with a car door frame, and a hingedly supported grain door adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame; of abutment plates consisting of sections hinged to fold upon each other and movably connected to and adapted to rest flat upon the side posts of the frame and out of the path of the door, and means for extending the abutments into the path of the door to restrain this outward movement.

22. The combination with a car door frame, and a hingedly supported grain door adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame; of abutment plates consisting of sections hinged to fold upon each other and movably connected to and adapted to rest flat upon the side posts of the frame and out of the path of the door, means for extending the abutments into the path of the door to restrain this outward movement, and means for holding the abutment plates in extended position.

23. The combination with a car door frame, and a hingedly supported grain door adapted to swing outward between the side posts of the frame; of abutment plates consisting of sections hinged to fold upon each other and movably connected to and adapted to rest fiat upon the side posts of the frame and out of the path of the door, means for extending the abutments into the path of the door to restrain this outward movement, lever plates for holding the abutment plates in extended position, and se curing means connecting the lever plates.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES VAN SLYKE.

Witnesses:

JIM CARTER, F. M. MANsFInLD. 

